Drumstick, Snake Gourd and Cluster Beans, Cooked Simply

The vegetables that move fastest through our stalls are also the ones people are least sure how to cook. All three below are better treated plainly than dressed up.

Drumstick

Cut the pods into finger-length pieces and leave the tough skin on — you scrape the soft interior out at the table. Drumstick’s flavour is released by simmering, which is why it belongs in sambar and in thin, tamarind-sour gravies rather than in a dry fry. Add it early enough to soften but not so early that it collapses.

Snake gourd

Split it lengthways, scrape out the spongy core and the seeds, then slice into half-moons. It holds a great deal of water, so it wants a hot pan and no lid — covered, it stews in its own liquid and turns grey. A quick poriyal with mustard seed, urad dal and grated coconut is all it needs.

Cluster beans

The most assertive of the three, with a bitterness that is the point rather than a flaw. Top, tail and chop, then either blanch briefly before frying or cook them long and slow with tamarind. Undercooked cluster beans are unpleasantly squeaky; give them longer than instinct suggests.

None of these keep especially well once cut. Buy what you will cook within two or three days and store them dry, not in a sealed bag.